One of my favourite songs at Christmas is O Come O Come Emmanuel. I like it because so much of Christmas is loud and bright, and this song is not. It is in a minor key (I think...), it's slow, a bit of a dirge. But I like it because it captures the feeling of the shepherds.

The shepherds are the no-hopers. They're the ancient equivalent of a port-a-loo cleaner. Not well respected, not well paid, not a pleasant job. And they're the ones who would tell stories of the promised Messiah, on cold nights on the hills tending the sheep. I can imagine them telling each other of what the Messiah would be like, attempting to encourage one-another, but not really believing it because it seems so far off.

But the into the middle of it comes an angel. Declaring 'GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST". And it blows everything apart. They had been secretly hoping for this coming Messiah, but never would have imagined that they would be the first to hear his coming.

And that's the thing about praying 'Come Lord Jesus Come'. He might actually come. And we will be among the first to see him. What a joy.